FY17CMVOSTNOFA.pdf

U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Fiscal Year 2017 – Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grant Program

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

Announcement Type: Discretionary (competitive) grant

Catalog of Federal

Domestic Assistance

Number:

20.235

Program Purpose:

The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training

(CMVOST) grant is a nationwide Federal financial assistance program intended to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles (CMV) by training operators and future operators in the safe use of such vehicles.

Eligible Recipients:

Eligibility for CMVOST funding is limited to organizations that provide CMV operator training, including accredited public or private colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, post-secondary educational institutions, truck driver training schools, associations, and State and local governments, including

Federally-recognized Native American Tribal governments.

This NOFA is not being released to solicit proposals for the development of new CMV operator training programs, and funding cannot be used to buy vehicles to provide training.

Applications received from educational institutions not accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education.

The CMVOST grant program does not offer tuition assistance directly to students; individuals are not eligible for this program. Grants are awarded to educational institutions;

students are selected for tuition assistance by the Grantees at its discretion. NOTE: Requested funding must serve a public purpose.

Application Due Date: June 23, 2017 (11:59 P.M. Eastern Time)

A. Grant Program Overview

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announces the Fiscal Year (FY)

2017 Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMVOST) Grant Program Notice of

Funding Availability to solicit applications from organizations that provide CMV operator training, including accredited public or private colleges, universities, vocational-technical schools, post-secondary educational institutions, truck driver training schools, associations, and

State and local governments, including Federally-recognized Native American Tribal governments that support CMVOST activities.

The Department of Transportation, Federal Motor carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is responsible for the implementation and administration of the CMVOST Grant Program. The

FMCSA CMVOST program is authorized by Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST)

Act, Pub. L. No. 114-94, § 5101(b) and (c) (2015). The CMVOST program is governed by 49

U.S.C. §§ 31103 and 31104. The FMCSA Grants Management Office (GMO) will make changes to the announcement via Grants.gov if there are statutory changes to the CMVOST program for FY 2017 after the initial posting.

This NOFA provides important information about the FY 2017 CMVOST program activities/projects and guidance related to preparing and submitting a grant application.

The CMVOST grant is a nationwide Federal financial assistance program intended to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving CMV by training operators and future operators in the safe use of such vehicles.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES

FY 2017 NATIONAL PRIORITIES

The FMCSA’s three core principles are: 1) raising the bar to enter the motor carrier industry; 2) requiring compliance with high safety standards to remain in the industry; and 3) removing high-risk carriers, drivers, and service providers from operation.

The Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training Grant (CMV) Operator Training Grant

Program, was established by Congress in 2005 through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient

Transportation Equity Act — A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Both then and now, the program has two goals:

1. to expand the number of CDL holders possessing enhanced operator safety training to help reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles, and

2. to assist current or former members of the United States Armed Forces, including

National Guard and Reservists to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL).

In support of this mission, the CMVOST national priority is to train current and former members of the United States Armed Forces, including National Guard and Reservists, to obtain their

Commercial Driver’s License, or CDL. The spouses and children of service members are also eligible for such training, with or without the service member. These individuals are referred to as “Qualified Students,” and referenced as such for the remainder of this document.

All applications must support the above public purpose. The FMCSA cannot award grant funding to individuals for personal gain, such as individual requests for obtaining specialized training required for CDL licensing or to any private business for direct financial gain or profit that does not provide benefit to the national CMVOST program and its objectives. An example of an unqualified purpose is purchasing a new tractor-trailer for a driving school.

When considering the merits of an application, FMCSA looks to the program narrative and any additional information provided to understand how the proposal meets the program objectives.

Other relevant or otherwise helpful information may include the following to help evaluators understand your program, your program investments, and expected outcomes including the number of students expected to be served:

• institutional accreditation and affiliations, including whether a school is an historical black college or university (HBCU) or Federally recognized tribal college;

• does the applicant entity or effort possess other distinguishing features, like serve an economically distressed area, or target the unemployed and underemployed;

• job placement opportunities for the students or other ways in which to ensure results from the investment;

• clear articulation of how the investment will support National goals, including metrics or measures to support conclusions and expectations;

• the ability to demonstrate proven results in approach; new endeavors for the applicant are not fundable under this grant program;

• monitoring and evaluation protocols or programs that are in place to measure success and performance outcomes.

Overall, the merits of the application are evaluated in their entirety including the narrative portion of the application with weighting on completeness and reasonableness of the information provided, while paying attention also to cost/budget information. In the final review, the

FMCSA Administrator will consider the following:

• The findings and recommendations of the evaluation team that includes technical, financial and programmatic aspects, and

• The degree to which an awardee can contribute to the success of the national program objectives intended to reduce deaths, injuries, and property damage by reducing risks.

FEDERAL AWARD INFORMATION

Total amount of funding FMCSA expects to award:

$1,000,000

Anticipated number of awards/ cooperative agreements:

Expected Amounts of

Individual Awards

Other than the program appropriation, there is no prerequisite minimum or maximum funding amount for a single award.

Minimum and maximum award amounts are required by

Grants.gov when creating a funding notice and are shown in the announcement solely for that purpose. Funding amounts made available for reimbursement may be impacted by limitations placed on the spending authority and appropriations enacted for

FMCSA. The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent of eligible costs. See the FAST Act section of Important Changes and

Reminders for FY 2017 below for an explanation of this change in the program’s matching funds requirement.

Anticipated start date/periods of performance:

Upon execution of a Notice of Grant Award through the award’s end date. NOTE: when requesting a period of performance on the SF-424 application form, applicants should carefully consider how long it will take to complete the grant’s activities and objectives. Pursuant to 49 U.S.C. § 31104(f)(4), CMVOST grant awards may be issued for the year of award plus one additional fiscal year. Period of performance begins upon award.

Application Type:

These reimbursable awards are competitive and discretionary and may be funded as either grants or cooperative agreements.

Applications are for new awards only. No FY 2017 grant funding can be used to supplement a previous or current award.

The FMCSA expects to award up to $1,000,000 in CMVOST grant funding for FY 2017 In FY

2016, FMCSA received 25 applications and issued seven awards

CMVOST grant funds are awarded through a competitive grant process and no assurance of funding is implied or should be inferred.

B. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION

The CMVOST is a nationwide Federal financial assistance program intended to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles by training operators and future operators in the safe use of such vehicles.

PROGRAM COST ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND INFORMATION

Accreditation

Educational institutions not accredited by an accreditation agency recognized by the U.S.

Department of Education or not identified as such in the application will not be considered complete and found ineligible.

Cost Share or Match

There is a fifteen (15) percent matching requirement for this grant program (see Important

Changes and Reminders for FY 2017 below). Any type of cost included in the approved budget may be used as match, and Grantees can vary the costs used as match from voucher to voucher, provided those costs were included in the approved budget. Costs that have not been approved by FMCSA as part of the project’s budget cannot be used as match. Match, as all costs related to the award, must be in compliance with Office of Management and Budget Regulations including

2 CFR Section 200.306 and Section 215.23 (see also §200.96, § 200.99, and §200.434)

Types of Cost Share

• Cash (Hard Match): primary source of match

• Trade-In Allowance/Credit: not applicable

• In-kind (Soft Match): eligible as appropriate

• Overmatch: In the application narrative, an organization may indicate a voluntary pledge to commit additional financial support toward a project’s cost, which is in addition to their required cost share obligation as detailed above and required by law. The FMCSA would not account for this promised additional funding in the terms of the award. The award budget would not account for any voluntary committed cost sharing or overmatch. The use of an overmatch is not given additional consideration when scoring applications.

Match must be clearly defined in the application. The absence of clearly defined match may exclude an application from further consideration.

Costs proposed in an application and as later expensed in an award must be in accordance with the applicable cost principles. Compliance with these requirements is the responsibility of the grantee recipient of Federal funds. All reimbursable items must be necessary, reasonable, allocable, and allowable to accomplish the goals of the program. Costs must also be consistently applied and documented. These standards are described in the applicable cost principles and administrative requirements in 2 CFR Part 200. Note that §§ 200.418-200.419 include Special

Considerations for Institutions of Higher Education. Failure to adhere to these requirements may result in reimbursements under the award being deemed improper and subsequently disallowed.

The FMCSA seeks to award grants that will primarily cover two types of expenses: tuition costs for Qualified Students and costs associated with the recruitment and post-training job placement of Qualified Students unless recruitment and post-training job placement are already part of an institution’s advertised tuition cost for all students.

Allowable Cost 1

The FMCSA will not award grant funds for instructor or administrative support salaries or other general recurring expenses associated with the applicant’s daily operations. It is FMCSA’s expectation that this grant will primarily support associated costs to train Qualified Students based upon an established tuition rate, and that the rate is the cost of tuition charged for each student and includes all administrative, personnel, and routine supplies/equipment related costs for the training. To properly document this, it is important to report your entity’s published tuition rate (with reference and publicly available) and include in the budget’s costs the per student rate, documenting individual cost components (personnel, fringe, books, etc). These are reimbursable awards and individual cost components must be in compliance with the cost principles under 2 CFR Part 220 for Colleges and Universities, 2 CFR Part 225 for State and local governments, and CFR Part 230 for non-profit organizations, or as otherwise applicable for all proposed costs associated with training Qualified Students:

o Applications must document the public, advertised tuition rate for the CMV training program that the institution offers; a scan of the institution’s website page that includes the tuition rate is sufficient;

o Applications must identify the proposed tuition rate for the grant-funded Qualified

Students. This tuition cost may not be higher than the advertised tuition rate for the institution’s CMV training program; if lower than the advertised tuition rate, the application must demonstrate what costs or services have been removed or the reason for the reduction;

o Applications must describe what costs are included in student tuition, such as books or other classroom materials, and must also identify any non-tuition fees that are required of all students. These fees or additional program costs should be included in the application’s budget; and o Applications must identify the amount of funding requested for the tuition for

Qualified Students multiplied by the anticipated number of Qualified Students the

Applicant proposes to train. If the Applicant requests only a percentage of tuition, the application must indicate whether the school will consider the remaining tuition part of its required match.

o CMVOST grants require a 15% match or cost-share by the Grantee. The required match can consist of the remaining portion of student tuition as described above or other costs that directly benefit the students enrolled in the program. Cost share must be a demonstrated contribution of costs to the program objectives that can be documented in conformance with 2CFR, under administrative and cost principles.

Allowable Cost 2

Costs associated with the recruitment of Qualified Students and the post-training job placement of graduated Students may include:

• The proportional share of salaries for program recruitment and job placement coordinators who recruit Qualified Students and assist them with post-graduation employment; student recruitment by the institution or a contractor that is part of an institution’s normal operations will not be reimbursed by this grant;

• Travel expenses related to attending student recruitment and job placement events that are directly related to identifying and recruiting Qualified Students or assisting them in finding employment for which a CDL is required; and

• Costs for recruitment materials (such as handouts for a job fair, a poster in a military facility’s announcement area, etc.). NOTE: promotional items such as key chains, coffee mugs, pens, tote bags, and the like are not allowable, even if intended solely to publicize or promote the program. This restriction applies to any subcontractor operating on behalf of a grantee to conduct recruitment and job placement services.

• Fringe benefits, indirect costs, contractual costs or other costs that directly benefit students by supporting recruiting and job-placement activities for Qualified Students in the program. Instructor salaries, administrative staff or support salaries, associated fringe benefits for those salaries, and other general recurring expenses associated with the Applicant’s daily operations are expected to be part of the cost of tuition and are not eligible for Federal reimbursement or and cannot be used to meet the required match.

Other Eligibility Criteria

• The FMCSA will not approve reimbursement requests for indirect costs if an approved indirect cost rate agreement is not in force for the period of time that the indirect cost expenses are incurred. NOTE: indirect costs cannot be applied to tuition if prohibited by the approved indirect cost rate.

• The FMCSA will not approve pre-award costs. Pre-award expenditures are made at the

Applicant's risk. The incurrence of pre-award costs in anticipation of receiving a competing award imposes no obligation on FMCSA either to make the award or to increase the amount of the approved budget if an award is made for less than the amount anticipated and is inadequate to cover the pre-award costs incurred.

• The required 15% match cannot consist of funds received from other Federal awards.

Important Changes and Reminders for FY 2017

The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act

In accordance with the provisions of the FAST Act Section 5101, FMCSA has the statutory authority to reimburse a Grantee up to 85 percent of its incurred costs and to require up to a 15 percent matching contribution from Grantees. The five (5) percent reduction in the required match from 20% in FY 2016 to 15% in FY 2017 is now in effect. This change does not affect previously-issued CMVOST Grants.

Title VI Assessments

There will be two required Title VI Program documents for FY 2017: The FMCSA Title VI

Program Assurance and the FMCSA Title VI Program Compliance Plan. These documents are located on Grants.gov in the “Full Announcement” tab. These forms are required and must be submitted by all FMCSA direct grant applicants into Grants.gov.

The Title VI Program Assurance commits the grant applicant to complying with Title VI and related nondiscrimination authorities to ensure that no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, low-income, or Limited English

Proficiency be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity for which the applicant receives

Federal financial assistance from FMCSA. The FMCSA's Office of Civil Rights is currently working with all FY 2016 and FY 2017 grant applicants to develop the Compliance Plans. Grant applicants will sign and date the Assurance form and will submit the Assurance and the approved

Title VI Program Compliance Plan with the application. Please note that an approved Title VI

Program Compliance Plan is required to be submitted along with the Grant application. For more information, please contact Mr. Lester Finkle, FMCSA National Title VI Program

Manager, at 202-366-4474 or lester.finkle@dot.gov.

C. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION

The FMCSA utilizes Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) for accepting application forms under this program. Unsolicited applications will not be accepted. See Appendix A for a checklist to ensure your application package is complete and submitted correctly.

mailto:lester.finkle@dot.gov

Step 1: To apply, the applicant must first complete the Grants.gov registration process. Note that the registration process for new users can take as long as four weeks.

Step 2: Every applicant must be registered in the System for Award Management (www.SAM.gov) before submitting the application; 2) provide a valid Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in its application; and 3) continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active Federal award or an application under consideration by FMCSA.

For Grants.gov assistance, contact:

• Phone: 1-800-518-4726 (toll-free) or 606-545-5035

• Business Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Closed on Federal holidays

• Email: support@grants.gov

Modifications to an application after it has been submitted will require a resubmission of the entire application package. The applicant must notify the FMCSA GMO prior to resubmitting

How do I know that my application has been received by Grants.gov?

Once Grants.gov has received your submission, you will receive email messages to advise you of the progress of your application through the system.

Over the next two business days, you should receive two emails: 1) confirms application receipt by the

Grants.gov system; and 2) indicates that the application has either been successfully validated by

Grants.gov prior to transmission to FMCSA or has been rejected due to errors. The applicant assumes responsibility for a timely and complete submission. Click here for more information mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply-for-grants.html the package. Submitting changes to an application that has already been submitted to and validated by Grants.gov without contacting the FMCSA GMO could significantly delay application submission and may result in the application not being accepted as complete.

The FMCSA will not consider a late application except under extraordinary circumstances. A late application will only be accepted if there is a large-scale natural disaster or a Grants.gov system issue that threatens the timely submission of a grant application. Problems with computer systems at the applicant organization, failure to follow the application instructions or failure to submit or complete the program application or complete required registrations by the submission deadline are not considered system issues.

1) Guidelines for Content and Format of Application Submission

Using the NOFA project narrative format shown is suggested as a guideline to help ensure that the application meets the established minimum requirements. Each section is required at a minimum (a-e). Application budget narrative guidance is included in Appendix B. Applicants that do not choose to use the suggested format must still provide the information included in the suggested format. All applications will be evaluated based on the criteria established in this

NOFA.

a) Goals and Objectives: Include a description of the goal(s) of the application and the applicable program priority(ies) met by the application’s projects. You must be sure to address all requirements and criteria defined in the Notice. Include in this introduction specific information about the outputs the applicant proposes to achieve. Example: To expand the number of individuals receiving commercial motor vehicle operator safety training in order to reduce the severity and number of crashes on U.S. roads involving commercial motor vehicles. Specifically, to recruit current and former members of the United States Armed Forces (including Guard members and

Reservists) and their spouses or children (Qualified Students), provide them with superior safety-focused training, and provide placement services to assist them in becoming employed in the transportation industry

.b) Activity Workplan: A description of the applicant’s quantifiable goal related to the above problem statement. This should be measured in four activity areas:

• Activity 1 – Recruiting Qualified Students: Example: Applicant has a wide recruitment network that concentrates on outreach to veteran and military applicants.

Applicant’s recruiting staff uses existing veteran organizations, visits to military bases, public advertising and promotion, and job fairs in coordination with local workforce training agencies to achieve focused recruiting of current and/or former members of the military.

• Activity 2 – Training Qualified Students: applications must clearly describe the type of training and the number of hours each. Example: The program takes approximately

4-6 weeks to complete and includes 105 hours of classroom instruction, 25 hours of off-road training and 44 hours of behind-the-wheel training; the curriculum is as follows (insert course listing here).

• Activity 3 – Providing Students with Post-graduation Job Placement Assistance:

Example: Concurrent with training, students are given numerous opportunities to speak with on-site recruiters; students are given guidance in interviewing strategies for achieving employment; students are provided with assistance and counseling in evaluating pay, benefits, lifestyle, and location pros and cons.

• Activity 4 – Providing Qualified Students with Fees or Expenses: Example: All fees and expenses, including books, materials, and permit and testing fees are included in each student’s tuition. The Applicant routinely hosts job fairs and other work-related skills classes and seminars on campus at no charge to the student.

c) Program Evaluation and Monitoring Plan: A description of how the applicant will measure progress towards the performance objective and goal by using quantifiable and measurable outputs that capture performance outcomes. The measurement must include specific benchmarks that can be reported on in the quarterly progress report, if practicable, or as annual outcomes. Example: All academic and skills training for each student will be documented weekly and compared to current baseline training data to determine the effectiveness of training activities and program administration; data will be maintained for each course on the number of students recruited, qualified, enrolled, and graduated, the number of students that passed the

CDL test, and the number placed in the trucking industry.

d) Organizational Capacity: This section demonstrates that the applicant has the expertise to successfully implement the stated strategies and achieve its stated goal(s). This section includes information related to the applicant’s training program, its ability to conduct recruitment and career placement, and its ability to successfully manage a Federal financial assistance award.

Example: The Applicant has been providing CDL training since 1986 and is the preferred training provider for several large government and for-profit organizations. It maintains an on-campus Office of Veterans Affairs and is recognized by GI Jobs Magazine as a military-friendly program. Its experience includes training drivers in the safe operation of all commercial vehicles, including passenger vehicles and tankers. Match must also be clearly defined. Match may be both an organizational capacity discussion, but also has budgetary significance.

Applications that fail to fully substantiate the applicant’s ability to provide the required matching funds and the source of those funds may be deferred from further review.

e) Budget Narrative: A budget narrative is a description by budget category (object class or type of expense) that details the costs necessary to complete the proposed projects. A well-written budget narrative ensures that the applicant has properly documented proposed costs. The level of detail should be sufficient to justify the funding requested. Guidance on how to develop an application budget narrative is included in Appendix B. Match must also be clearly defined.

2. Application Package Requirements

Please see Appendix A – Application Package Checklist for a list of required documents and their respective locations.

F. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION

All applications received by the due date are subject to an initial intake review to determine if:

(1) the application includes all required documents – see Attachment A; and (2) the application is eligible for award in accordance with the program’s priorities. Applications that meet those two criteria are then evaluated by a cross-discipline team made up of a technical review panel (TRP), grant specialists, program officers, and FMCSA staff responsible for day-to-day grant management and oversight.

1) Technical Review Panel (TRP), or Merit Review

This review provides an independent assessment of the technical/programmatic merit of an application. At least three qualified individuals are selected to review each application to ensure diversity of perspective and knowledge. TRP individuals are selected based on their technical education and experience.

TRP reviewers will evaluate each application to determine the extent to which it:

• Describes a CMVOST project that reflects the program’s priorities and statutory requirements and that will likely achieve successful completion within the award’s period of performance.

• Describes specific activities that support the objective(s) of the program. The reviewers will consider whether budget components such as staffing, equipment, training, and travel components are clearly linked to the project’s goal(s) and are necessary to adequately compensate, train, and enable personnel to conduct the activities included in the project plan and whether proposed expenditures appear reasonable, allowable, allocable, and necessary.

• Includes clearly-defined performance goals and measurements that are supported by an appropriate data source identified within the application, and includes timelines and benchmarks that can be reported in the quarterly progress report, if practicable, or as annual outcomes and that will facilitate evaluating the applicant’s progress towards project completion; and

• Includes a monitoring and evaluation component that indicates how the recipient will continuously contribute to the success of the project by evaluating performance and outcomes and making adjustments as necessary; this component also enables FMCSA to properly monitor the grant-funded activities.

TRP members will utilize the ratings shown below for each of these components as a summary determination based on all components reviewed.

• Highly Responsive: Applicant fully addresses all aspects of the criteria, convincingly demonstrates that it will meet the Government's performance requirements, and demonstrates minimal or no weaknesses.

• Responsive: Applicant fully addresses all aspects of the criteria and demonstrates the likelihood of meeting the Government's expectations and requirements, but may include a few weaknesses.

• Somewhat Responsive: Applicant addresses most aspects of the criteria and demonstrates the ability to meet the Government's performance requirements but contains significant weaknesses and/or a number of minor weaknesses. These weaknesses may be addressed by recommending the award and including a specific programmatic or administrative post-award term and condition or a reduction to requested funding.

• Not Responsive: Applicant does not sufficiently address the criteria and the information presented indicates a strong likelihood of failure to meet the

Government’s requirements.

2) Budget Review/Cost Analysis

This review provides an assessment of: whether costs are allowable in accordance with Federal grant requirements, including the appropriateness and reasonableness of the budget estimate and the resources to be dedicated to the project; the reasonableness and feasibility of the schedule relative to the application timeline. The budget evaluation helps identify project-related risks which must be considered prior to recommendation, in addition to those risks arising from technical uncertainty.

a) Reviewers will evaluate applications to determine the extent to which:

• Elements of work included in the application have associated budget costs and, conversely, all elements in the applicant’s budget have corresponding work elements included in the application;

• Costs in each cost category appear allowable, allocable, necessary and reasonable per the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost

Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards and are not duplicative of other budget line items.

3) Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants

This review provides a risk assessment of each applicant’s organization. The risk assessment is conducted in several parts:

• a debarment and suspension review that includes a review of the applicant’s administrative capability self-certification form and a check against the records in

SAM;

• a review of prior awards performance, as applicable: Applicants that have previously received FMCSA grant funding will be evaluated in part on their ability to complete prior year awards on time, their compliance with grant terms and conditions, and the results of FMCSA grant monitoring activities;

• a review of the applicant’s history with other Federal agencies as shown in the Single

Audit Clearinghouse Database; and

• an evaluation of the applicant’s Single Audit in accordance with the Single Audit Act.

The FMCSA may, at its discretion, request further information and/or conduct an audit to confirm compliance as indicated on the SF-LLL – Disclosure of Lobbying

Activities form, as provided for in the United States Code or the Code of Federal

Regulations.

Based on the Agency’s risk assessment findings, FMCSA may determine that the applicant is not eligible and/or qualified to receive the award and may use that determination as a basis for making or not making an award.. The FMCSA may also require additional grant award terms and conditions.

4) Consideration of Program-Specific Aspects

The FMCSA may consider other factors in reviewing applications in addition to the application’s technical merit, budget, and risk assessment including past performance. These factors relate to program-specific policy areas that may figure in an award recommendation. In considering final awards, FMCSA may consider an institution’s geographical location within a region and the

United States as a whole to prevent the clustering of grantees in any one region of the country or area within a broader geographical region (ex: the Southeast, Pacific Northwest, etc.).

Further, FMCSA may consider an applicant institution’s proximity to nearby military installations that will provide the largest available candidate pool for Qualified Students. If

FMCSA determines that consideration based on geographical region or proximity to a military installation is necessary, applications will be compared to applications from similarly situated organizations rather than to the application pool as a whole.

Additional Information

After the application review process, FMCSA may contact the applicant with additional questions or for clarification of the application. The FMCSA reserves the right to make awards that result in the need to make project revisions (e.g., reductions in the scope of work, funding level, period, or method of support) prior to recommending any project for funding. Applicants may be required to submit a supplemental budget or project narrative based on a partial or modified grant recommendation. The FMCSA expects to contact applicants and/or conduct negotiations (if necessary) during the summer of 2017. This contact between applicants and

FMCSA does not constitute any assurance that funding will be awarded.

The FMCSA does not expect to make awards prior to August 2017.

G. AWARD ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION

The FMCSA reviews all applications as required in 2 CFR §§ 200.204 and 205 and in accordance with program-specific legislative/regulatory requirements to evaluate the applicant’s responsiveness to the NOFA. Following that review, FMCSA will either approve an application for award (in full or in part) or decline the application; all awards are subject to the availability of funds. Applicants chosen for grant funding are formally notified electronically by the FMCSA grant management system (GrantSolutions, www.grantsolutions.gov). Unsuccessful applicants are notified by electronic mail.

The FMCSA cannot award grants or release information concerning applications recommended for funding until approval is obtained from the Agency’s Administrator. Further, FMCSA cannot award grants until the enactment of authorizing legislation, an appropriations act, budget authority, and apportionment from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The FMCSA may issue partial funding awards up to the funding level authorized.

Information on the award’s amount, period of performance, purpose, approved costs, terms and conditions of award including any specialconditions, if applicable, is ncluded the Notice of Grant

Award (NGA) to the recipient.

If an applicant is approved for award, the Grants Management Office (GMO) will issue the NGA to the applicant via GrantSolutions, the FMCSA grants management system. The NGA is the award document and is the legal agreement used to enter into a relationship whose principal purpose is to transfer something of value from the Federal awarding agency to a grant recipient

(or pass-through entity or sub-grantee) to carry out a public purpose authorized by a law of the

United States. The NGA is used for grants and cooperative agreements (these terms are often used inter-changeably). Grants and cooperative agreements cannot be used to acquire property or services for the Federal awarding agency or for a pass-through entity or sub-grantee's direct benefit or use.

Acceptance of the grant award, or NGA, constitutes the grantee’s agreement to complete the work proposed by the proposal and agreement and in compliance with all applicable statutes, regulations, executive orders, OMB circulars, and terms and conditions of the award, including the reporting requirements shown below.

http://www.grantsolutions.gov/

1) Reporting Requirements

The grant terms and conditions include the reporting requirements that the recipient must meet upon receiving an award. Reporting responsibilities include quarterly program performance reports using the Performance Progress Report (SF-PPR) and quarterly financial status using the

Federal Financial Report (SF-FFR, also known as the SF-425). Recipients should submit quarterly reports via email. Additional quarterly report information and other required forms and templates are available at:

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/grantee-resources.

2) Cost Reimbursement Requirements

All FMCSA grant programs are cost reimbursable, which means that a grant recipient must first expend its own money before submitting an invoice to FMCSA for costs associated with activities identified in the grant agreement. Recipients will be reimbursed by FMCSA for actual costs incurred provided that the costs are reasonable, eligible, allowable, and allocable in accordance with the OMB regulations and FMCSA policy, in line with the approved budget, and supported by documentation. Recipients must request reimbursement at least once each quarter.

The FMCSA will reimburse 85 percent (85%) of eligible costs. Recipients are required to provide a 15 percent (15%) match or cost share of the total, eligible program cost of the grant’s project.

The FMCSA will not reimburse an amount that is more than the Federal share of costs incurred as of the date of the voucher.

Recipients must submit requests for reimbursement electronically through the Delphi eInvoicing

System (iSupplier). Additional information is available at: http://www.dot.gov/cfo/delphi-einvoicing-system.

Additional provisions that apply to this solicitation and/or awards made under this solicitation, including but not limited to those related to DUNS, SAM, and administrative capability, can be found in the Grants.gov application package under the “Related Documents” tab. Applicants are http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/grantee-resources http://www.dot.gov/cfo/delphi-einvoicing-system http://www.dot.gov/cfo/delphi-einvoicing-system strongly encouraged to review all documents when preparing applications. Contact FMCSA’s

GMO if you have questions on these provisions.

H. OTHER INFORMATION

This NOFA is intended for informational purposes and reflects current planning. If there is any inconsistency between the information contained in this NOFA and the terms of any resulting funding agreement, the terms of the funding agreement are controlling. Additionally, FMCSA may make changes or additions to this NOFA. All changes will be announced through

Grants.gov. We encourage you to sign up for Grants.gov emails to be notified of the changes at:

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html

The FMCSA plans to conduct an informational web-based conference for all prospective applicants. During this conference, FMCSA staff will review NOFA requirements; share best practices and lessons learned; and answer questions from prospective applicants as allowed by

Agency policy. Conference registration information will be posted to this NOFA announcement on Grants.gov.

The FMCSA is not obligated to make any Federal award as a result of this announcement.

Funding amounts made available under this program may be impacted by limitations placed on the spending authority and appropriations enacted for FMCSA. The FMCSA is not responsible for any monies expended outside the scope of the grant agreement by the applicant and is not responsible for any monies expended prior to the award date on the grant agreement.

Issuance of the NOFA and negotiation with prospective applicants do not constitute an award commitment on the part of FMCSA. The FMCSA reserves the right to reduce or revise applicant budgets as necessary. Only FMCSA authorizing officials can obligate the Federal government.

An application may be withdrawn at any time before a final funding decision is made regarding the application, and notifications will be sent as soon as practicable when awards are made. The

FMCSA retains application materials for a period of three years for unsuccessful applications.

http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/manage-subscriptions.html

As an applicant, your submission certifies that the statements made in the grant application are true and correct.

You may find the following documents helpful in developing your application:

• The FAST Act is the U.S. Department of Transportation’s authorization of the $305 billion

(over fiscal years 2016 through 2020) for highway, highway and motor vehicle safety, public transportation, motor carrier safety, hazardous materials safety, rail, and research, technology, and statistics programs. The FMCSA authority is located in Title VI of the

FAST Act. https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr22/BILLS-114hr22enr.pdf.

• FMCSA Grant and Program Regulations can be found at:

• https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations

• e-CFR Part 200 – Uniform Administrative Requirements (Omni-Circular)

• https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_circulars

• Analysis and Information Online (A&I) is FMCSA’s online resource center for analytical data, statistics, recent studies, and reports on truck and bus safety:

https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/.

• FMCSA Grantee Resources: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/grantee-resources

• Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, which contains detailed program descriptions for

2,296 Federal assistance programs available to State and local governments (including the

District of Columbia), Federally-recognized Indian tribal governments, Territories (and possessions) of the United States, domestic public, quasi-public, and private for-profit and nonprofit organizations and institutions, specialized groups, and individuals. The

CMVOST program can be found at:

https://www.cfda.gov/index?s=program&mode=form&tab=step1&id=13fea9b99d3e7db2

237d72b08c7c960a.

https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr22/BILLS-114hr22enr.pdf https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=b3b39db8057b826c64f9adac9aa472a9&node=pt2.1.200&rgn=div5 https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_circulars https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/ http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/mission/grants/grantee-resources https://www.cfda.gov/index?s=program&mode=form&tab=step1&id=13fea9b99d3e7db2237d72b08c7c960a https://www.cfda.gov/index?s=program&mode=form&tab=step1&id=13fea9b99d3e7db2237d72b08c7c960a

• Agency Contact

For questions about this NOFA, please contact the FMCSA GMO by:

• E-mail: FMCSA_GrantMgmtHelpdesk@dot.gov

• Telephone: (202) 366-0621

• Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Grants Management Office (MC-BG), 1200 New Jersey Ave, SE, West Building, Washington, DC 20590

• Office hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

I. ATTACHMENTS

The following attachments have been added to Grants.gov under this announcement. These attachments are available in Grants.gov under the “Related Documents” tab.

• Attachment A: Application Package Requirements Checklist

• Attachment B: Budget Narrative Guidance and Sample Recommended Format

• Attachment C: United States Department of Transportation Standard Title VI/Non-

Discrimination Program Assurance and Plan mailto:FMCSA_GrantMgmtHelpdesk@dot.gov

Attachment A - Application Package Checklist

Careful review of the application notice of funding availability and use of this checklist are strongly encouraged to ensure that a complete application is submitted. Application packages that do not contain all of the required forms and documents may not be considered for funding. The table below lists the required documents that must be contained in the application package (if applicable), the document description and its location. This checklist is provided for your convenience and does not have to be submitted with your application.

Document Name Document Description & Location Document Included?

Standard Form (SF) 424 Application for Federal Assistance

(Required Form)

Standard application form for all Federal assistance requests.

This form is available in the Grants.gov application kit.

YES ☐ NO ☐

SF-424A Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs

Standard application form for all Federal assistance requests relating to non-construction grant programs.

SF-424B Assurances for Non-Construction Programs

(Required Form)

Standard application form for all Federal assistance requests relating to non-construction grant programs indicating that the applicant organization is in substantial compliance with applicable Federal laws to accept and manage Federal funds.

Grants.Gov Lobbying Form

Standard application form for all Federal assistance requests relating to the limitation on the use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracting and financial transactions under Title 31 U.S.C.

Section 1352.

SF-LLL Disclosure of Lobbying Activities

(If Applicable)

Standard application form for all Federal assistance requests to disclose lobbying activities. Only applicable to applicants that have lobbying activities to disclose.

Key Contacts Form

(Required Form)

Standard application form for all Federal assistance requests that must contain contact information for the following three roles (indicate in the form if a contact is performing more than one role):

1) Authorized Designated Official (individual for review and acceptance of award);

2) Principal Investigator/Program Director (individual responsible for the technical completion of the proposed work.); and

3) Financial Official (individual authorized to accept payments).

1)YES ☐

2)YES ☐

3)YES ☐

1)NO ☐

2)NO ☐

3)NO ☐

7 Attachment Form

Form used to submit supplemental attachments, such as project and budget narratives, to support the grant application.

YES ☐

NO ☐

Project Narrative

(Required Document)

Project narrative that includes: brief introduction, program overview, problem statement, performance objective(s), program activity plan(s), and performance measurement plan(s).

Use the “Attachments Form” located in the Grants.gov application package to attach the various files that make up your grant application.

Budget Narrative

(Required Document)

Includes a thorough description and clear justification of each project’s cost budget category (object class or type of expense) listed on the SF- 424A budget form, and shows how the cost was derived. Budget Narrative Guidance is available in Grants.gov under the “Related Documents” tab and is included in Attachment B.

Indirect Cost Rate Information

(If Applicable)

If the application’s budget includes indirect costs, the applicant must provide either the fully executed, negotiated agreement from its cognizant Federal agency – or – if the rate will not be approved by the application due date, the letter of renewal or letter of request that was sent to the cognizant agency. Use the “Attachments Form” located in the Grants.gov application package to attach the various files that make up your grant application.

FMCSA Administrative Capability Questionnaire

Applicant self-certification that enables FMCSA to assess the adequacy of the applicant’s administrative management systems. The questionnaire is located within the Grants.gov announcement under the “Related Documents” tab.

YES ☐

NO ☐

Standard Title VI/Non- Discrimination Program Assurance and Plan

(Required Documents)

Required Title VI Program Assurance that the applicant will comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related Nondiscrimination authorities (including other related directives, circulars, policy, memoranda, and/or guidance) to ensure that no person in the United States shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, low-income, or Limited English Proficiency be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination. A physical signature is required.

A template Title VI Program Compliance Plan is available in Grants.gov under the “Related Documents” tab. The approved Plan must be submitted with your application.

Attachment B – Budget Narrative Guidance and Recommended Format

What is a Budget Narrative?

The budget narrative explains the “what, “how” and “why” of a line item cost to carry out grant project goals and objectives. A budget narrative is a narrative explanation of each budget component that supports the costs of the proposed work. The budget narrative should describe why each budget item is required to achieve the proposed project goals and objectives. It should also explain in detail how budget costs were calculated.

The budget narrative should be clear, specific, detailed, and…